In spite of the chilly, drizzly weather, seventh graders at Thomas Hunter Middle School in Mathews held a successful fundraiser on Sunday, bringing in $2,000 for the Water for South Sudan Iron Giraffe Challenge.

Science teacher Jerry Ligon said around 75 people turned out to haul gallons of water through the “jungle” of the nature trail at the school, making stops at stations along the way to learn about the problem of the dwindling water supply that’s facing the world.

Ligon said that participants could watch a demonstration of African drums being played at one station, while another station had a graphic depiction of the amount of water being lost to pollution, increased population uses, and the melting of freshwater glaciers into the saltwater sea. At a third station, students told the trail walkers about the little girls in Sudan who have to walk for hours each day to collect water from ponds because their villages have no wells.There were additional stations, as well, and a...